Protector of Lost Children

| CHAPTER XXI |

Hello, Readers! Here is the last chapter of this story. Don't worry, there is still an epilogue after this, and then I'm done with this rewrite for now. In a few years, I'll probably go over it again, because while I really like how the plot turned out, I admit that I once again lost interest with the franchise and wasn't able to add as much detail as I would've liked.

Anyway, my survey is still up and there are only a few days left to answer it! Only 23 days remaining before I close it and look at the results. I will adjust my writing and schedule according to your opinions, so remember to be heard! The link is easily found on my profile page in the ABOUT section.

~CSP2708~

 | Chapter 21 || Push Back the Darkness |

As the Nightmares closed in on Lupa, she thought that she was done for. She closed her eyes, thinking that it was the end, bracing herself to the Nightmares to either rip her apart or to possess her, just as they did to Pitch.

Jack watched in horror as the Nightmares attacked his friend. They surrounded her, soon blocking his view of her. He lost sight of her, and, desperate for a glimpse, fought his way around the outside of the circle, though he was never able to break through the outer shield.

With his staff, he sent bolts of ice at the Nightmares, but, unlike the last time, they just absorbed each blast into their midst, swallowing it like a pill. His attacks were useless against the swirling mass in front of him.

Suddenly, there was a light from within the swarm. It started out faint but grew larger and larger by the second. The Nightmares reeled back, neighing and hissing and clomping their hooves in agitation. When Jack finally caught sight of Lupa, he, too, flinched back, covering his eyes.

Her entire body was consumed by a bright, glowing light. She was a star, her entire body burning with a brilliant luminescence that burned him right to his brain. The Nightmares, it seemed, were similarly displeased. The skittered away from her, marching around her, but giving her a wide berth.

The glow dimmed, though only so it pulsed in her chest; it became a ball of light fluttering right above her heart. Upon seeing her unharmed, Jack smiled brightly; she smiled back. Then, looking around at the Nightmares still circling them, her smile morphed into a smirk.

It was a look of confidence – and maybe even of smugness, though the only thing Jack knew for sure was that Lupa had either gone insane or she felt a lot more powerful because of the light. Jack immediately found that it was the latter.

Lupa thrust her hand into one side of the wall of Nightmares surrounding them, making a direct path for the light to shootout from her chest and into the crowd in a single beam of energy. The Nightmares dissolved on impact.

Just like that, the Nightmares scattered. It was not much use for them, though, because Lupa just sent more beams out, thinning the herd until only a few stragglers remained. They retreated to Pitch's side, and, turning to him, Lupa was met face to face with the darkest glare her father had ever sent her, both in her mortal and immortal lives.

She reacted without fear, however, which, in itself, impressed Jack.

"Father," she said.

Pitch's glare hardened. "I am not your father," he said, his voice cold and emotionless. It was a sentence that no child would ever want to hear from their parent, but Lupa seemed unaffected by the harshness of the statement.

"Yes, you are. The Fearlings are controlling you and you cannot fight them on your own. You have been trying and failing for centuries, now let me help you. Let me make you see the truth."

With that, Lupa sent a beam of light at her father. It struck him directly in the chest, where his heart was. To Jack, it was far less dramatic than when she was fighting the Nightmares; Pitch didn't stumble back. He didn't scream or writhe or curse. He just stood there, his expression black as he was pushed back into his mind. It was like the good and evil were warring inside him, capturing all his attention and not allowing him to communicate his inner struggle with the outside world.

An eternity later, seconds after Jack was ready to give up and just leave – most likely to check on the others once he was able to let his guard down because he never knew when Pitch would try to make an underhanded attack – something happened. Pitch gave a sound, a sharp intake of breath, and staggered to the side a few steps before falling to his knees.

His palms were pressed into the dirt like he was praying to some goddess – the earth mother, perhaps – and he was panting; his whole body trembled. Now, like Jack expected, he was writhing. His breathing was heavy, and his entire form seemed to vibrate by how quickly he shivered.

Immediately, Lupa was by his side.

"It's okay, father, it's okay," she whispered to him, pulling his head to her chest to soothe him. "I'm here. I'll help you. I'll always be here to help you when things are feeling dark."

She pulled Pitch up to his knees again, taking his hands in her own, and squeezing them gently, sending small, short bursts of light from her chest and into his. As each new pulse of light entered his heart, a flutter of darkness was expelled. Little by little, bit by bit, Lupa chased the Fearlings out of her father, forcing them to release him from their control.

Finally, after one last burst, a horde of Fearlings burst of Pitch, trying to get away, but the light chased them, and pretty soon, they were no more, eaten alive by the light.

Pitch collapsed.

"Father!" Lupa cried out, "Father, are you okay?"

Jack ran forward; his shock had passed, and he knew that Pitch would be as he was before the Fearlings possessed him, but a thought crossed the young spirit's mind. What if Pitch was just dead? What if he was still mortal, and the only thing keeping him in the state of a spirit was the Nightmares? He might just be dead now that he's been freed from their command.

Jack knelt next to Lupa, his hand on her back as she checked over her father.

"Lupa?" he asked, "Is he alright? Is he okay?" Jack's voice was soft, hoping for the best was preparing for the worst. He knew that there was a chance that Pitch – no, Kozmotis – wouldn't make it.

Lupa looked up at him with the most horrible expression on her face.

Word Count: 1008

Posted: Tuesday, February 6th, 2018

~CSP2708~